Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure, for example, relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to privacy in an access point using media access control randomization.
Description of Related Art
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless network, for example a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network (IEEE 802.11) may include an access point that may communicate with stations (STAs) or mobile devices. The access point may be coupled to a network, such as the Internet, and enable a mobile device to communicate via the network (and/or communicate with other devices coupled to the access point).
Privacy issues relating to Wi-Fi networks are a concern for network providers and users alike. Typically, an access point wirelessly communicating with a STA includes its permanently assigned media access control (MAC) address in its transmissions for identification. The access point sending its MAC address, however, presents an opportunity for an observer to intercept the wireless transmissions, identify the access point's MAC address, and determine information otherwise considered private and personal. For example, an observer or attacker can determine how many STAs are communicating with the access point, determine the nature of the STA communications, perform activity monitoring to determine whether a home or business owner is away, etc.
Randomly selecting a MAC address for Wi-Fi communications, however, may introduce other difficulties. One concern is data routing to and from the access point. For example, a remote data source may not have a random MAC address of the access point and, therefore, may experience difficulty routing data through the network including the access point. Other concerns relate to association, mobility, etc. For example, an authenticated and associated STA that communicates with an access point that changes its MAC address during a communication session may disrupt the association.